Hello Friends! Happy Fall and welcome (or welcome back) to the blog.

** Seasonal Quote** 
“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like
they’re falling in love with the ground.”
― Andrea Gibson

Friends, I hope you’re enjoying some creature comforts of the season, staying hydrated, enjoying a Fall walk, buying a few pumpkins, and for the love of October …” put down that phone!” (LOL)

Friends, October is [literally] around the corner, and it’s the season for warm drinks, scary movies, and that favorite sweater. Tomorrow marks the start of my 31 Days of Halloween (In Movies) series, and I’m excited.

Let’s get caught up on all things bookish. However, the biggest news is that I’ve completed my 2025 Goodreads Challenge. 🏆 I haven’t requested any new ARCs, and I’m focusing on reading anything else I have in queue for this year, and going off script a little and just reading whatever I want.

The Bookish* Newsletter!

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Issue No. 8 | SEPTEMBER 2025 | Blog Version
Check out my bookish updates on Goodreads, including progress, upcoming titles, lists, and reviews!

NEW ARC BOOK REVIEW ✨ 4.8 ✨
Thank you to Net Galley and Quill & Crow Publishing for this title.

CREDENZA, Wendy Dalrymple [HORROR, FICTION]

This story is a quick read, clocking in at 199 pages. You could knock this out in an afternoon 📖. Credenza is creepy as hell, and you get a good bit of information from the prologue that briefly explains the tree that this cursed credenza hails from.

Our protagonist (single mom), Veronica, is trying to keep her online antique business thriving while raising her daughter, Star. Star’s father is only beginning to step back into the picture as he’s clean, sober, and ready to be a part of her life.

Hannah’s college friends have diverse personalities, ranging from one extreme to the other, which is typical in most slasher stories. You get a glimpse at all the players, and you can instantly determine who’s biting it first.

I like this character. She runs her own business, owns a home, and while things are not perfect, she’s making it work. I admire her hustle. Veronica is also grieving her recently deceased grandmother, Maddie, who raised her. Towards the end, Maddie had dementia, but Veronica still took the time to visit her with Star and make memories. She struggles without her. Veronica’s mother, Karen, is out of the picture and has been since she was two years old.

There is a reason Veronica’s mother, Karen, has stayed away, but after her mother’s death, she reaches out to Veronica about the credenza, pleading with her to get rid of it. As a child, she heard voices from the cabinet, but no one believed her. It only got worse after Star was born.

It was interesting to learn (not just the origins of the wood to make the credenza) but the reason behind why it was created, what it was used for, and the group of women who were tasked with protecting it.

This cabinet (throughout the years) would bring on mysterious beheadings, poisonings, and other deaths 💀. The best is saved for the last 15 pages of the story, and I usually would be mad at waiting so long, but the short story builds the tension, and some things are better left to the very end.✨

Great Book Sources 🍁 BookTrib ִ ࣪🍁 🍁 Good Reads ִ ࣪🍁 🍁 Book Riot ִ ࣪🍁 🍁 NPR ִ ࣪🍁 🍁 Literary Hub 🍁 🍁 Booktrovert 🍁 🍁 Fable 🍁

I’m also including the link to the PDF version of the “September” newsletter. Don’t forget to check my “Book Tracker” page for more updates. Thank you so much for stopping by today. Please consider subscribing or following along.  — Duces.✌🏽 —

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